Method and apparatus for disconnecting the components of composite food pieces



Oct. 14, 1969 J. CONRAD METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DI 3,472,300scommc'rxno THE COMPONENTS OF COMPOSITE FOOD PIECES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 21, 1966 1x VENTOR. 10645 J Coxvk/w 147 [ORA/E 4. 1959 L. J.CQNRAD 3,47 00 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISCONNECTING THE COMPONENTS OFCOMPOSITE FOOD PIECES Filed Dec. 21. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1/ all 1 7771\AIME/YEP United States Patent 3,472,300 METHOD AND APPARATUS FORDISCONNECT- ING THE COMPONENTS OF COMPOSITE FOOD PIECES Lucas J. Conrad,Winston-Salem, N.C., assignor to R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company,Winston-Salem, N.C., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 21, 1966,Ser. No. 603,484 Int. Cl. B02b 7/04; A01f 31/00 US. Cl. 146-225 15Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Composite food pieces, e.g., meatclinging to bone, fruit pits clinging to fruit flesh, are fed into thecenter of a rotating disk, accompanied by fluid under light pressure.The disk is ribbed and a plurality of downwardly depending tines havetheir tips spaced slightly above the ribs. The pieces are drivencentrifugally and by fluid pressure difference outwardly to theperiphery of the disk and are there discharged. During their passagebetween the tines and the ribs of the disk, the composite pieces arepulled apart, so that the material discharged is a mixture of separatedfleshy portions and hard portions. Radial tine arrays prevent the piecesfrom traveling any substantial distance circumferentially of the disk.All parts contacted by food are arranged for easy disassembly andcleaning. Alternative tine arrays and alternatives to the disk aredescribed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the preparation of food, e.g., forcanning, freezing, or other operations, it is in many cases desirable toseparate composite food pieces into components ofdifferentcharacteristics. Typically, fleshy, edible parts of the food areseparated from relatively hard, inedible parts. However, in may casesthe separation required is more complex. For example, in preparingchicken for canning, it is desirable to separate the lean meat from thebone, fat, and skin. On the other hand, in preparing cherries forcanning, it is necessary only to separate the fleshy part of the fruitfrom the pit.

In order to accomplish such a separation, it is usual first to treat thecomposite pieces so as to disconnect the clinging components ofdiiferent characteristics, thereby producing a heterogeneous mixture ofparts. This mixture is thereafter classified into groups of homogeneousparts by means which may, for example, depend upon the difference indensities of the parts.

The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus foraccomplishing this initial disconnection. In prior art methods andapparatus for this purpose, it has been common to subject the compositepieces of food to an impact, typically in a hammer mill. In many' cases,such an impact has a deleterious effect on the food, since it tends tocrush the fleshy parts, making them less palatable, and also tends toshatter the hard parts, with the resulting possibility that some of theshattered fragrnents may get into the final food products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method andapparatus for separating composite pieces of food consisting of clingingcomponents of different characteristics and value. The food pieces areplaced on a supporting bed having upwardly projecting protuberances andthe pieces are moved along the bed between the protuberances and anarray of flexible tines spaced slightly above the tips of theprotuberances. The protuberances and the tines cooperate to separate themoving pieces into their com- 3,472,300 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 ponentsby steady, gentle forces rather than by sharp impacts. The forces aredistributed through large volumes of the pieces rather than beingconcentrated. In the disclosed embodiment, the supporting bed is arotating disk and the protuberances are radial ribs in the upper surfaceof the disk. The tines are arrayed in a plurality of rings concentricwith the axis of the disk, with spaced radial arrays of tines extendingbetween the tine rings. The disk and the tine rings and all parts of theapparatus which must touch the food pieces are constructed for readyremoval and cleaning.

The movement of the food pieces between the tines and the supportingconveyor may be assisted by an accompanying flow of fluid. In theembodiment illustrated, the fluid is a liquid, such as water, which isintroduced at the center of the rotating disk, and flows outwardly andis discharged at the periphery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partlybroken away and shown in section, illustrating a food separatingapparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the apparatus inFIG. 1, showing the manner of assembling the tine strips to the tinesupports;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line III-III of FIG. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the central rotating disclit,illustrating the driving and supporting mechanism; an

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view taken on the line VV of FIG. 3, furtherillustrating the driving mechanism for the rotating disk.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The apparatus illustrated inFIG. 1 is generally cylindrical, and is supported on three peripherallyspaced legs 1 connected by one or more transverse frame members 2. Onthe top of the legs 1, there is supported a helical discharge channel 3having an outer flange 3a, an inner flange 3b, and a ring 30 formed atthe upper edge of its outer flange and adapted to rest on the tops ofthe legs 1. The inner flange 3b is considerably shorter than the outerflange 3a of the channel member 3. The web of the channel forms a singleturn helix about the axis of the apparatus and communicates at its lowerend with a discharge chute 4. Rotatably supported above the insideflange 3b of the channel 3 is a disk 5 having formed in its uppersurface two arrays 5a and 5b of radially extending ribs. The arrays 5aextend from a point near the center of the disk 5 to its periphery. Theribs 5b are considerably shorter and extend from a point approximatelyopposite the middle of the ribs 5a to the periphery of the disk. Thecenter of the disk is attached as by welding to an upwardly projectingstreamlined cone 6 having a handle 6a formed on its top. Although radialribs are shown, and are presently preferred, the ribs may be skewedslightly from the radial direction, or they may be curved, for example,in a spiral form.

While it is preferred to have the disk 5 flat, as shown, it may be madewith its upper surface slightly convex, or conceivably slightly concaveif that is more suitable to the particular food products being treated.

Supported above the disk 5 by means to be described in detail below, arethree tine mount rings 7, 8 and 9. A fragment of the tine mount ring 7is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. The ring 7 comprises a cylindricalhoop having a stiffening ring 7a of circular cross-section welded alongits upper edge. Attached to the inside of the. lower edge of the ring 7is a tine strip 10, which is of flexible material, such as a fabricreinforced rubber or plastic material of the type commonly used inbelting or the like. The lower edge of the strip is cut away at spacedintervals to provide downwardly depending tines 10a which extendcompletely around the bottom of the tine supporting ring 7. For use withchicken wings, it has been found suitable to use tines long, A" wide,and spaced A apart, and cut square at their ends, as shown. Other foodsmay be better handled by tines of other shapes and dimensions.

The tine strip 10 is held in place by an expansion ring clamp 11 havinglugs 11a formed at its ends to receive between them a coil spring 12which holds the ring 11 expanded and thus compresses the upper edge ofthe tine strip tightly against the tine amount ring 7.

The tine mount rings 8 and 9 are provided with similar tine Strips 10supported in a similar fashion.

Each of the tine mount rings 7, 8' and 9 is provided with a plurality ofradially inwardly directed plates 13 extending vertically and havingnear their bottom edges a plurality of projecting studs 14. Acorresponding plurality of radial tine strips 15 is provided, eachhaving keyhole slots 15a by which it may be mounted on the studs 14, andcut away along its bottom edge to provide downwardly depending tines15b. Similar arrays of radially extending tines are provided on theradial plates 13 of each of the tine mount rings 7, 8 and 9.

The supporting mechanism for one of the tine mount rings, specifically,the outermost ring 7, comprises a plurality of upwardly projecting lugs7b attached to the ring 7a at three equally spaced points around theperiphery of the ring. Each of the lugs 7b has a laterally open slot 7cformed in one side thereof and adapted to receive the radially inner endof an arm 16 whose outer end is bent downwardly and rotatably supportedin a plate 17 attached to one of the legs 1. Suitable means, shown as acollar 18 and a set screw 19 are provided for adjusting the verticalposition of the arms 16 and hence of the tine mount ring 7.

A similar array of supporting arms 20 is provided for the ring 8 andanother array of arms 21 for the ring 9. In any machine intended for usewith all the tines at the same level, a Single set of arms 21 may beused to support all three rings.

The disk 5 is provided at its periphery with a downwardly dependingflange 50 which overlaps the upwardly extending inner flange 3b of thechannel 3. Spaced inwardly from the flange 50 by a distance suflicientto clear the flange 3b, is a driving flange 5d concentric with theflange 5c. The driving flange 5d is engaged at three localities spaced120 apart by three rollers 22a, 22b, 220 (see FIGS. 3-5), journaled on asupporting plate 23, suitably mounted on the frame member 2. Anotherroller 24 is journaled in the plate 23 at a point spaced a shortdistance from one of the rollers 22. The roller 24 is rotated by a motor35, which may be supported on the under side of the plate 23.

Rotary motion may be transmitted from the roller 24 to the adjacentroller 22 by the action of a clutch roller 25 pivoted on the end of atoggle arm 26, which is attached to a shaft 27 journaled in the plate 23and rotatable by means of a crank arm 28. The toggle arm is biased by aspring 36 to the full line position of FIG. 4, wherein motion istransmitted from roller 24 through roller 25 to roller 22, therebydriving the flange 5d and rotating the disk 5. If it is desired to stoprotation of the disk, the crank arm 28 may be actuated to swing thetoggle arm 26 and move the spring 36 over center so that it then biasesthe arm against a stop 37, and the driving train is interrupted atroller 25.

The weight of disk 5 and any food pieces supported thereon is carried bya downwardly projecting annular track 5e formed in its lower surface.The track Se is supported at three points spaced 120 apart by rollers 28journaled on yokes 29 which are in turn supported on the plate 23.

4 OPERATION The food pieces to be separated, which may, for example, hecooked chicken wings, are supplied to the upper center of the disk 5 bymeans of a chute 30, or by any other suitable delivery mechanism. At thesame time a suitable fluid, in this case a liquid, such as water orbrine, is supplied through a pipe 31 controlled by a valve 32 andterminating at a nozzle 31a directed downwardly toward the central partof the disk 5.

The spacing between the tips of the tines 10a and the ribs 5a and 5b maybe adjusted by means of the set screws 18. The heights of the severalrings, and hence the tinerib spacing, may be adjusted to the same level,or to different levels. For example, the outermost ring may be set forthe closest spacing, with the two inner rings being set for a somewhathigher spacing. The radial rows of tines may be set for the same ordifferent spacing by the selective use of tine strips 15 having keyholeslots 15a at different distances from the tips of tines 1512. Forchicken wings, this spacing should be adjusted so that the clearance isless than the smallest dimension of the food parts being processed. Forother food products, it may be desirable to reduce the clearance,possibly even to zero.

The motor 35 is started and the clutch 25 is engaged so that the disk 5turns in the clockwise direction as shown by the arrow 33 in FIG. 1. Asthe disk turns, centrifugal forces tend to move the pieces outwardly ofthe disk under the tines 10a. As the pieces pass the tines 100, thefleshy parts of the food pieces are engaged by the tines and arestripped from the bones. The ribs 5a and 5b define outwardly expandingchannels through which the separated food parts may pass, so that once apiece of food starts moving outwardly through such a channel, theincreasing space between the ribs makes it easy for the piece tocontinue movement in the outward direction. Some pieces are, of course,carried around circumferentially of the disk 5. Such pieces periodicallyencounter the radial tines 15a, which tend to retard theircircumferential movement, thereby increasing the tendency of the piecesto be moved centrifugally, outwardly through the rings of tines 10a. Theoutward movement of the pieces is assisted by the flow of liquid, whichis continuously entering the apparatus at the center of the disk andflowing outwardly to the periphery.

It is not necessary that any fluid be used. If a fluid is used, it maybe either gas or liquid, and should be chosen in accordance with thecharacteristics of the food particles being treated. It is preferablethat no substantial fluid pressure be applied, but rather that thevelocity head of the fluid be slightly greater than zero. The flowingfluid tends to push the food particles which may be retarded by thetines and assists in the separation of the meat from the bones.

The forces acting outwardly on each food piece are all distributedsubstantially equally through the piece. Those forces are eithercentrifugal forces, or pressure forces due to the flowing liquid. On theother hand, the force resisting outward movement acts through the tineson the particular limited area of the surface of the piece which engagesthe tines. When a chicken wing is properly cooked, the tensile strengthof each homogeneous part, i.e., either lean meat, skin, fat, bone, orwing tip, is greater than the tensile strength of the bond connectingthat part to the other parts of the wing. Hence, when a localized forceis applied in one direction on one such part, and a generalized force isapplied in the opposite direction to other parts clinging to the onepart but non-homogeneous therewith, the one part tends to becomeseparated from the others.

The product discharged at the periphery of the disk 5 is a mixture ofmeat, skin, bones and wing tips. The meat strips have been separatedfrom the bones so that there is no clinging of the meat to the bones.The mixture passes down through the helical channel 3, in the directionof arrow 38 in FIG. 1, and out through the chute 4. The

flow of mixed parts may be assisted by additional liquid suppliedthrough a pipe 39 and controlled by a valve 40 located near the upperend of the channel 3. While the helical channel 3 provides a convenientand compact arrangement for receiving the product of the machine, otherequivalents may be used. It is only necessary that the receivingmechanism encircle the machine, so as to receive the discharge from allparts of the periphery of disk 5.

The mixture delivered from the machine may be segregated into itscomponent parts by techniques well known in the art, such as flotationmethods, depending upon the difference in density of the various parts.

CLEANING When it is desired to clean the machine, the entrance chute 30is first swung out of the way by any conventional means. The arms 16, 20and 21 are then pivoted outwardly so that they are approximately tangentto the periphery of the channel 3. The time mount rings 7, 8 andt9 arethen free to be lifted bodily out of the machine. The disk 5 maysimilarly be lifted by means of the handle 6a,- after which the helicaldischarge channel may also be lifted out for cleaning. The tine rings 10may readily be separated from the tine mount rings 7, 8 and 9, bycompressing the spring 12, thereby releasing the spring clamps 11?Compression of springs 12 may require use of a tool similar to anautomotive engine valve lifter. The radial tine strips may be removedfrom the radial tine supports 13 by means of the keyhole slots 15a. Thusit may be seen that the entire assembly may be quickly and readily iakenapart so that the separate parts may be thoroughly cleaned and that theonly special tool necessary for the separation of the parts is thespring compressor used on thef'springs 12.

While I have shown an array of tines consisting of three rows concentricabout the axis of rotation of the disk, together with radial rows oftines extending between the concentric rows, it should be understoodthat other arrays of tines may produce equivalent results. For example,the rows of tines might be eccentric. There might be only one row, orany suitable number other than three. The radial rows might be omitted.The tines may be arranged in spirals rather than in circles. Where aspiral array of tines is used, it may be either in one continuous spiralforming the several loops around the axis, orseveral spirals, eachextending only part of the way around the axis.

While the tine array shown is stationary, it may in some cases bedesirable to rotate, oscillate, vibrate or otherwise move the tine arrayas the disk rotates.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of myinvention, other modifications thereof will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art, and I therefore intend my invention to be limitedonly by the appefided claims.

f claim:

1-. Apparatus for disconnecting the components of composite food piecesconsisting of clinging component parts of diflerent characteristics,wherein the improveme'iit comprises:

.(a) means defining a path of movement for said pieces,

said means including a horizontally extending disk, mounted for rotationabout a vertical axis and having an array of upwardly projecting bluntprotuberances on its upper surface, which surface defines the bottom ofsaid path from the central portion of i the disk to the disk periphery;

(b) an array of flexible tines extending transversely of said path abovesaid disk between the axis and the disk periphery;

(c) means supporting said tines with their tips projecting downwardlytoward said protuberance so that all pieces moving along said path mustmove between the array of tines and the protuberances, the

cooperation of the tines and blunt protuberances acting to gentlydisconnect the component parts;

(d) means for moving said pieces along said path and between said tinesand said disk including means for rotating the disk; and

(e) means for receiving disconnected parts of said food pieces afterpassing between the tines and the disk.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which:

(a) said moving means includes means for supplying fluid under apositive head to said path at the approach side of said array of tines;and

(b) said apparatus includes means for receiving fluid passing throughthe array of tines.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which:

(a) said array of tines encircles said axis;

(b) said apparatus includes means for supplying said composite foodpieces downwardly onto the central portion of said disk; and

(c) means at the periphery of the disk for receiving all of thedisconnected parts of said food pieces 'which pass between the tines andthe disk.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which said upwardly projectingprotuberances comprise an array of substantially radially extending ribson the disk.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which said tine array comprises aplurality of rows of flexible tines extending transversely of said pathof movement.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which:

(a) said apparatus includes a plurality of rows of tines concentricallyencircling said axis; and

(b) radially extending rows of tines between said encircling rows.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which said array of upwardlyprojecting protuberances comprises a first array of radial ribsextending from a locality near the center of said disk, to a localitynear the periphery thereof, and a second array of radial ribs extendingfrom a locality radially outward of the inner ends of the first array toa locality near the periphery of the disk, the ribs of the second arraybeing located between the ribs of the first array.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which said tine supporting meansincludes a tine mount ring concentric with the axis of rotation of saiddisk.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, in which:

(a) said tines are formed in a strip of flexible material extendingaround the inside of the lower edge of said ring; and

(b) said tine supporting means includes a circular spring clampexpandable against the strip of tine material for holding it on thering.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, including:

(a) three upwardly extending peripherally spaced projections on the timemount ring, each projection having a laterally opening slot therein; and

(b) three radially extending bars above the disk, said bars beingpivoted at their outer ends for rotation about axes parallel to the axisof rotation of the disk and having their inner ends movable into saidslots to support the ring;

(0) said bars being rotatable between a radial position wherein theysupport the ring and a tangential position wherein they are free of thering and the ring may be removed from the apparatus by lifting.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, including:

(a) means supporting said disk including a plurality of horizontal axisrollers on which the disk rests;

(b) said means for rotating the disk comprises a plurality of verticalaxis rollers engaging a downwardly depending flange on the disk;

(c) said disk being disengageable from the supporting means and thedriving means by lifting, after the tine mount ring has been removed.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, including:

(a) a supporting frame comprising three peripherally spaced legs;

(b) said means for receiving the disconnected parts comprises a troughextending around the periphery of the disk and having an outer verticalWall with a horizontally extending flange adapted to rest on the tops ofsaid legs; and

(c) brackets on the outer sides of said legs pivotally supporting saidouter ends of said bars;

(d) said trough having a vertical inner wall and said disk having adownwardly depending flange outside the inner wall, said trough beingremovable from the apparatus by lifting after the disk has been removed.

13. The method of disconnecting the components of composite food piecesconsisting of clinging component parts of different characteristicswherein the improvement comprises the steps of:

(at) delivering pieces to be disconnected onto a substantiallyhorizontal bed having upwardly extending blunt protuberances on itssurface;

(b) rotating the bed about a vertical axis to accelerate the piecescentrifugally toward its periphery;

(c) intercepting the accelerated pieces with an array of downwardlydepending flexible tines causing the pieces to be forced between thetines and the blunt protuberances which cooperate to gently disconnectthe component parts; and i (d) collecting the disconnected parts as theypass the periphery of the bed.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, including the further step ofassisting the motion of the pieces by-supplying fluid at the approachside of the tines and removing said fluid from the opposite side of thetines.

15. The method of claim 13, including the further step of retarding thecircumferential motion of the pieces on the rotating bed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,318,805 5/1943 Silva t 146-552,906,308 9/1959 Genetti 146-76 X 3,142,860 8/1964 Churchill 1713,192,974 7/1965 Hickey et al. 146-50 3,256,555 6/1966 Paoli 17--1 W.GRAYDON ABERCROMBIE, Primary Examiner I US. Cl. X.R.

